Purchasing newspapers on Saturday 19th September and finding plenty of editorial illustrations in The Daily Mail, The Daily Express and particularly in the Daily Telegraph.
The process is to select a variety of different types of editorial examples – decorative, conceptual, informative and gain an understanding of how they convey ideas and relate to the text.
Here are a few examples I find interesting:-
This is headed “From Marks and Sparks to island life” in the Food and Drink supplement of the Daily Telegraph:-
The image is cartoon formation with some humour in the smiling donkey, the shorts/wellies. The wine making process is seen in the grape vine, barrel, wine glass.
The image and title raise questions of how can wine making be linked to M&S. This leads to reading the article in search of the answer.
It is about Jo Ahearne (a London born Masters of Wine) who passed her M.W. exams whilst working as a winemaker/buyer/blender for M&S. Before then she had worked at vineries for over a decade. After attending a wine show in Split (Yugoslavia) Ahearne became interested in learning of the 100 indigenous grape varieties in Croatia and set to making her own wine on Hvar, a small Croatian island (42 miles in length). She now sells wines “under a beautiful Ahearne label”.
The illustration links to the single producer and the island is shown in the background. It is slightly informative of the stages of the wine making process : growing the grapes, collecting them, the barrel containers needed and the final result of the wine itself in the glass.
Looking now at another heading: “Is cancel culture doing more harm than good”.
From the review and culture section of the paper is an eye-catching vision of red thick red paint across the famous painting of Botticelli’s birth of Venus. Written underneath is Do not Delete.
At first I think this is about cultural events being cancelled due to the pandemic. However I read on and discover the term “Cancel Culture” as a form of boycott by dismissing others from social or professional circles either on line, in social media or in the real world. They are said to be “cancelled”.
I have not come across this concept before however it has been around since 2014 initially as a form of disapproval. Arguments for and against are given in the article and discussion about freedom of speech:-
One view being for “calling out” rather than “cancelling out” giving those who have offended a chance to explain themselves, opening up a conversation in the belief that “most human beings are capable of change and decency and doing better”.
I am not sure how well the illustration relates to the article. As detailed above when I first saw it I thought it was about cancelled venues, however I now understand it is about cancelling a person, hence the paint blotting out the figure. The main impact is the colour red which brings the reader’s attention to the review write-up. It is an abstract illustration.
Now for an informative and diagrammatic example from the Sports page:-
This provides four examples of the Free Kick football techniques: Whipped, Under the wall, Knuckleball, Far-post blast. For someone like myself who is unaccustomed to these sporting processes the illustrations are clear and helpful. I read the text and the illustrations act as a demonstration to the techniques being described. The goal keeper is identifiable as the smaller crouching individual, the arrows show the intended direction of the ball.
This next illustration is from the “Problem Solved” page for answering questions on car troubles and consumer issues. It is merely decorative in the form of an engine outline:-
In the finance pages is a report “Millennial Investor” by Marianna Hunt:-
This reports on record house prices, a seller’s market and the demand for buy-to-let properties whilst there is reduced stamp duty. It goes on to discuss banks and Marianna’s personal investment.
The illustration provides an idea and metaphor. The bounce in the market shown by a house springing out of box as a surprise with sparkling dots of colour. In a sense it is a surprise that the housing market is doing well during the pandemic. There is use of colour here: bright yellow for positivity and some image distortion. The house being too large to have really fitted into the box initially and sprung out of it.
The following illustration is another which raises questions: “Why are there tears and Happy Birthday bunting happening at the same time”? “What is going on here?” It invites the reader to search for answers again:-
It is illustrating “Letter of the Week” in the Daily Telegraph section where Katie Morley investigates as Consumer Champion of the Year .
The dark coloured background and clothing of individuals crying into their hands and hankies is in complete contrast to the bright coloured tables, balloons and Happy Birthday Bunting.
The letter explains how an online order for disposable star-patterned buffet items were substituted by a super-market for “Happy Birthday” paper plates. Unfortunately the order was for a covid-secure commemoration of the loss of a parent. You feel for the writer as a single gentleman with no siblings responsibly trying his best to prepare for 30 guests attending in honour of a beloved parent and wanting everything to be perfect.
The illustration captures how the gathering might have appeared with the unsuitable items. Here are the mourning clothes , the covid- distancing rules between the guests. However the over emphasis of many tears permits a little humour into puzzling the extremes of the sadness beneath the Happy Birthday message.
Fortunately the writer manages to purchase appropriate replacements in time and despite the distress from sorting out the issue, we read in Katie’s reply to the letter that the commemoration turns out to a be a day of comfort remembering a good parent and she offers kind words of encouragement.
The supermarket apologise although they did not know the order was for this type of event. They are updating their algorithm that decides which products to substitute with others on line and offering the writer flowers and a token for the upset.
So again looking at the illustration it is narrative, telling a story of what might have happened if the event had gone ahead with inappropriate decor. The bunting and balloons are imaginary as they are not mentioned in the letter so the image is purposefully over-done to evoke a response. This is the work of Veronica Grechfor a professional illustrator and designer based in Spain working worldwide for packaging, editorial and fashion industry. I like her elongated figures and the details of the waves at the edges of the jumpers. Rather than suits, the homely jumpers give a friendly, feel and link the figures as relatives despite them standing far apart. They are all supporting each other just by being there and all with similar body language of both hands bent at the elbow wiping their eyes. There is some hierarchy of image of the seated figure with a bright white hanky and detailed footwear.
It is quite a revelation sifting through the papers and noting the illustrations. I now appreciate their relevance in how they help in initially developing an interest to investigate an article further, how they help in the meaning of the text, the description of an event or how they inform of a concept to be understood.
They also help the reader to save time. Looking through the papers if you see an image of a house or car engine as examples above, you know generally whether this is something you wish to invest in further reading, or whether you wish to skip on to the next page. Or you can flick through the paper looking for specific images in order to read an article on the subject.
Linking in with final example above of the family commemorative event I am choosing “Finding your family history” for the OCA exercise which is to imagine I have been commissioned by the paper to create an illustration in relation to this theme.
Researching some text that suits the heading results in an on-line National Geographic article:-
“Every journey home begins at home. The search to learn more about your ancestors – who they were, where they came from, what happened to them and why – starts in conversations with relatives, in the attic or basement going through old photos and documents, at the local library or archives researching vital records, or online genealogy websites.
The pay off for all this detective work is nothing less than time travelling through your family history. You will get to know your ancestors in a more intimate and meaningful way. Here are 8 steps to get you started on your journey:-
Step 1 – Get organised – the early weeks of your search will likely bear abundant fruit, since it is often easiest to gather facts about close relatives. To save and organise everything you find choose an online genealogical database before conducting your research.
Step 2 – Treasure hunt at home – professional genealogists are seasoned detectives. They look for clues, notice patterns, conduct research, and collect data to methodically solve mysteries and uncover family histories. And like detectives these ancestry experts know that some of the most valuable clues in any quest often are hiding in plain site at home. So focus your hunt in the attic, basement and drawers where photographs, documents and personal correspondence may be stored. Items with dates are especially helpful. Family memorabilia to look for (and photograph if you do not he permission from the owner to take the item) include old postcards, records, diplomas and of course diaries and letters.
Step 3 – Talk to your elders – even if you have heard family facts and legends your entire life, really take time to interview your elders with a digital recorder and specific questions will refresh your memory and reveal new details. If you treasure hunt first and interview second you will have artifacts to talk about with your relatives. Asking them to identify people or places in old photos, for example, can be a catalyst for stories and leads.
Start by asking questions about your parents, grandparents, and if possible, great-grandparents, and beyond that will reveal foundational knowledge. Basic information to ask about includes full names and names of siblings, birthplaces and birthdates, locations and even addresses of family homes, nationality and ethnic background, occupations, education, service and registrations.
Step 4 – Go on line – this is the time to use all the information you have been gathering to search on line. New resources, services and options are added regularly on popular genealogy sites. Browse genealogical materials (including books, on line materials, microfilm, microfiche and publications). Many librarians offer the Ancestry Librarian Edition providing free access to the bulk of sites.
Step 5 – Get a DNA test – cutting edge DNA ancestry testing kits can lead you to places and people you may never have found by following a paper trail. You may discover migration paths their ancient ancestors followed thousands of years go and will learn the details of ancestry roots – their branch of the family tree.
Step 6 -Be social – use your favourite social networking and social media sites. In addition to searching for and connecting with people who share your ancestral surnames look for local organisations, public libraries and archives, tour guides and genealogy services in your ancestor’s home town.
Step 7 – Manage your expectations – for most people the ancestors discovered and the lives they led will appear fairly mundane. Most ancestors are ordinary people who made a difference in the kind of life we are all able to live today. There is wonderful satisfaction in working out our own family stories.
Each record we find represents something seemingly insignificant but sometimes these events were life changing experiences for our ancestors and therefore for us.
Step 8 – Keep going – in many ways travelling to the places where your ancestors came from will be the reward for all your hard work. By putting in the time and research, persevering through roadblocks and detours and being open to accepting whatever you discover, you will have earned this journey like no other you have taken before.
The text is highlighted in red where I have revisited the article and selected sentences and words I consider to be important aspects of the text. From this a summary can be written:-
Professional genealogists are seasoned detectives. They look for clues, notice patterns, conduct research, and collect data to methodically solve mysteries and uncover family histories. Treasure hunt first. Every journey begins at home,time travelling – focus your hunt /quest on old postcards, records, diplomas and of course diaries and letters. Following a paper trail. Interview second. Start by asking questions, conversations with relatives – names , birthplaces and birth dates, locations and even addresses of family homes, nationality and ethnic background, occupations, education, service and registrations. Stories and leads.Search on line. microfilm, microfiche and publications). Many librarians offer the Ancestry Librarian Edition providing free access to the bulk of sites.Social networking and social media sites.Local organisations, public libraries and archives, tour guides and genealogy services in your ancestor’s home town. Travel to the places where your ancestors came from. Each record we find represents something seemingly insignificant but sometimes these events were life changing experiences for our ancestors and therefore for us. Cutting edge DNA ancestry. You may discover migration paths their ancient ancestors followed thousands of years go and will learn the details of ancestry roots – their branch of the family tree. By putting in the time and research, persevering through roadblocks and detours and being open to accepting whatever you discover, you will have earned this journey like no other you have taken before.
Sketching ideas as a visually brain-storming process keeping in mind the text above:-
This is helping in finding the way to proceed and making decisions, one being that this editorial illustration will be mainly decorative however also slightly informative.
In making a word list to refer to:-
Finding Your Family History:
Detective, Quest, Questions, Clues, Patterns, Home, Journey, travel, paper trail, postcards, diaries/letters, diplomas/records, networking, conversations, relatives, libraries, archives, DNA, migration paths, roots, family tree.
The thumbnail sketches are exploratory:- in previous exercises I have sought to create visually pleasing thumbnails, however now there is more confidence is thumbnails as a tool to continue to develop the idea:-
It helps to see that introducing a museum building and a house is too confusing in the first square. And too many items make it too complicated as in the lower left square. However by incorporating some of the “clues” eg questions, research and DNA into the people figures simplifies the components and composition. Also rather than figures as pillars in a row it is more interesting to space them out and add a 3D dimensional element with the blocks of books and angles. The above view provides a sense of control. It puts the researcher in charge of the overall process.
At this stage there is still uncertainty as to whether to have any paper trail from the roof/attic of the house and also if the magnifying glass is too distracting.
I briefly try a more diagrammatic approach structured in the way a family tree is written down and then as more of a journey between the people figures. Perhaps the scroll can be shown behind the door of the house:-
The preference is for a more relaxed portrayal of a journey as opposed to a “structured” diagram. So the visual will be a combination of the sketch immediately above on the right and the last one in the previous thumbnails.
Here is the line visual:-
A decision has been made to place the magnifying glass at the base of the frame so it fits in the direction of the lines of the “roots” from the DNA and also aligns better with the scroll. The lines of the arrows need to be straightened. Generally it feels worthwhile to have explored the ideas well as the resultant visual is satisfying.
Here is the final illustration as an Editorial for “Finding your Family History”. Rather than a colourful picture, it is in the style of the “M&S to Island life”. This seems appropriate to distinguish it from eg a book cover design. You can imagine this two /thee toned image at the side of a newspaper article:-
The house windows are slightly out of line however the inaccuracies add to the “comic” nature of the design. This friendly approach and gentle coloured background may help in an otherwise emotive journey. There is a smudge just to the left of the magnifying glass. This could be removed on the computer however it adds to a feeling of authenticity of an excessive newspaper print.
References:-
Moore, V. (2020), From Marks and Sparks to island life, The Daily Telegraph.
Halls, E. & Jacobs, S, (2020). Is cancelling culture doing more harm than good, The Daily Telegraph.
Sports Review & Problem Solved pages, (2020) The Daily Telegraph.
Morley, K. (2020). Consumer Champion of the Year, Letter of the Week, The Daily Telegraph.
Hunt, M. (2020), Millennial Investor, The Daily Telegraph.
Journeys Home – Inspiring Stories, Tips & Strategies to find your Family History, (Dec 2017), National Geographic
Adelaide Art 